Urgh, most of that list is total cack.. IMO.. heh
Anyway the Jackson 5 were the 70's not 60's. And 'Can You Feel It' was definietely their best single by a LOOONG shot. I would put up almost everything Hendrix recorded as best also. The best single/song of all time would probably be something by the Beatles or Hendrix IMO.

>Urgh, most of that list is total cack..

This is the point, surely. Anyway, no-one can say it's a list of received wisdom.

IMO.. heh

Fair enough.

>Anyway the Jackson 5 were the 70's not 60's.

I Want You Back was released as a single in December 1969. It just didn't enter the British charts until January 1970.

And 'Can You Feel It' was definietely their best single by a LOOONG shot.

It is a brilliant single, that one. Fair play.

I would put up almost everything Hendrix recorded as best also. The best single/song of all time would probably be something by the Beatles or Hendrix IMO.

Not that I'm trying to be controversial. But I rarely listen to Hendrix or The Beatles, much as I like them. Yeah, sure Voodoo Chile or Purple Haze or Hey Joe or Paperback Writer or Come Together or Day Tripper are obviously wonderful singles, but they always get trotted out in lists like these.

Pop music is great. Just trying to argue from another angle.

60's
The Beach Boys 'Good Vibrations'
Pink Floyd 'See Emily Play'
The Lemon Pipers 'Green Tambourine'

70's
The Sex Pistols 'Anarchy In The UK'
T-Rex 'Ride A White Swan'
Magazine 'Shot By Both Sides'


80's
The Smiths 'How Soon Is Now?'
The Stone Roses 'Fool's Gold'
XTC 'King For A Day'

90's
Blur 'For Tomorrow'
Ride 'Leave Them All Behind'
My Bloody Valentine 'To Here Knows When'

80s
New Order 'Blue Monday'
New Order 'True Faith'
Dexy's Midnight Runners 'Come On Eileen'

(I want)"Somebody"(to love) - Depeche Mode
"Mothers Talk" - Tears For Fears

"Dog on Wheels" - Belle & Sebastian
"Dock of the bay" - Otis Redding
"Animal Nitrate" - Suede

Right, apart from the 90s tracks, I can't tell you which decade most of these are from, as I'm such a young thing... Instead, I'm just going to try to bash out some random stuff I like (and can remember, right now).

I agree with TJ on The Sex Pistols "Anarchy In The UK"
Green Day - "Going To Pasalacqua"
Blondie - "Atomic"
Aretha Franklin - "Chain Of Fools"
The Jackson 5 - "I Want You Back"
Smokey Robinson - "Tears of a Clown"
Marvin Gaye - "Sexual Healing"
Carole King - "It's Too Late"


90s Stuff

The Breeders - "Cannonball"
Esthero - "Heaven Sent"
Stiltskin - "Inside"
Gomez - "Rhythm & Blues Alibi"
Portishead - "Glory Box"
Skunk Anansie - "Twisted"
Supergrass - "Richard III"
Nirvana - "Territorial Pissings"


How's that for a confused pile of offerings?

Mostly top choices there, Ailie! What I love about that list in particular is a brilliant array of styles, none of this rock vs. dance vs. soul or any of that balls. (Special note should be made of Carole King - such a top song.)

Pop! Isn't it great?

You're in a good mood tonight, Justin!

Was there something decent on telly this evening?

:0)

>You're in a good mood tonight, Justin!
>
>Was there something decent on telly this evening?
>
>:0)

I'd run out of fury! :0}

Seriously, that's a *great* list, Ailie!*

















*As if my opinion counts for that much, of course...

>Seriously, that's a *great* list, Ailie!*

Why, thank you! Your opinion *does* count, as it's obviously very correct in this instance!

Ailie, that's quite alright. Loved the range of the list.

Um...except not too keen on Skunk Anansie. But hey! So what? Never mind. Look at my list - Steven summed up it with the word "urgh". Blondie ("Rapture") and Supergrass ("Sun Hits The Sky") only missed my final lists by a whisker, as did XTC ("Generals & Majors"), Stevie Wonder (not I Just Called, obviously, but "Higher Ground"), Chic ("I Want Your Love"), New Order ("Thieves Like Us"), Massive Attack ("Unfinished Sympathy"), Todd Rundgren ("I Saw the Light"), The KLF ("What Time Is Love?"), The Specials ("Do Nothing") and "Sexy Boy" by Air.

I think 'Going Out' by Supergrass is a lot better than 'Sun Hits the Sky', has a very Beatlesy quality. Anyway, umm.. what you said about the Jackson 5 being 60's.. yes their first album came out in 1969, but 'I Want You Back' was actually a Diana Ross insrumental that they rerecorded with singing, and isn't very good anyway. The 69 album was presented as a side work of Diana Ross, and their proper albums came out all in the 70's. 'Can You Feel It' or 'Dancing Machine' would of been a much better choice. Also obviously the La's with 'There She Goes' is a perfect pop single, but they have better ones, but hardly anybodies heard anything else by them I'm sure.
I'd make a list, but I've heard so many amazing songs I can't be bothered making a list..

I am always amazed by the way people can just trip this stuff off - my mind always goes a complete blank, but here goes...

60s
Beach Boys - Heroes and Villains, Wouldn't It Be Nice
Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever, Paperback Writer, Ballad of John and Yoko
Otis Redding - Change is Gonna Come
Aretha Franklin - Respect
The Who - I Can't Explain
Small Faces - Lazy Sunday
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
Kinks - Waterloo Sunset

70s
Roxy Music - Pyjamarama, Virginia Plain
Steely Dan - Peg
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Tax
Marvin Gaye - Abraham. Martin and Johni
The Clash - White Man in Hammersmith Palais
Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army
The Trammps(?) - Disco Inferno
The Undertones - Here Comes the Summer
Buzzcocks - Everybody's Happy Nowadays

80s
Aztec Camera - Oblivious
The Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom
The Specials - Too Much Too Young
Blondie - Atomic
Big Audio Dynamite - E=MC2
The Art of Noise - Close (to the Edit)
Smiths - William It Was Really Nothing
U2 - With or Without You
Public Enemy - Bring The Noise
Stone Roses - Fools' Gold
808 State - Pacific State
De La Soul - The Magic Number

90s
Orbital - Chime
The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
New Order - Regret
Paris Angels - Perfume (All On You)
Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
Blur - Popscene
St Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart

(Author reserves the right to completely change his mind by next week)

Some good choices, for me it's totally objective though, completely depends how I'm feeling. Can't be arsed with chronological order, and no doubt my list will be slagged rotten, but here goes:

Procul Harum-Whiter Shade of Pale
Beatles-Something, Across the Universe, My Life, Let it Be.
John Lennon-Woman, #9 Dream.
Dusty Springfield-Windmills, Just Don't Know what to Do.
Blondie-Atomic, Denis. Sunday Girl.
Otis Redding-Dock of The Bay
The Smiths/Morrissey-This Charming Man, There is a Light, Everyday is Like Sunday, Last Night I Dreamt.., The Boy With the Thorn in His Side.
The Jam-That's Entertainment
The Stranglers-Golden Brown
Nirvana-Heart Shaped Box, On A Plain, Come as You Are, Something in The Way, In Bloom.
Pearl Jam-Jeremy, Wishlist, Black, Betterman, Rearview Mirror.
Skunk Anansie-Secretly, Good Things Don't Always Come to You, Hedonism, Twisted, Weak, Brazen
U2-With or Without You
John Parr-St Elmos Fire


Well thats enough for now, but I have too many songs that I consider 'great'. There are loads I'll have inadvertently missed, but hey, who cares!!

Can't be arsed with order, and I'll add the disclaimer that I'm sure this is a very pisstake-worthy list, and also that I'm not going back further than my living memory (basically anything pre about-79 doesn't seem like a single to me, just a song, because I wasn't there to hear it in the context of being a single), but:

They Might Be Giants - "Birdhouse In Your Soul"
R.E.M. - "Orange Crush"
Adam Ant - "Goody Twoshoes"
Pet Shop Boys - "Being Boring"
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "I Want You"
Pulp - "Common People"
Prince - "Gett Off"
New Order - "Blue Monday"
Erasure - "Breath Of Life"
The Smiths - "How Soon Is Now?"
Suede - "Metal Mickey"
Madonna - "Vogue"
Soft Cell - "Tainted Love"
World Party - "Ship Of Fools"
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "Relax"
Eurythmics - "Love Is A Stranger"
Richard Thompson - "Turning Of The Tide"
Peter Gabriel - "Digging In The Dirt"
Wham! - "Freedom"
Madness - "Our House"
Happy Mondays - "Step On"
Heaven 17 - "Temptation"
Depeche Mode - "Enjoy The Silence"
Electronic - "Getting Away With It..."

Aaaagh, this is awful, just reminds me of what I forgot to put down! Heheh, I give up on lists and life.

OK- here goes

60s

Beatles 'Strawberry Fields
Who 'I Can't Explain'
Kinks 'Days'
Hendrix 'Purple Haze'

I may remember more...
Beach Boys 'Good Vibrations'
Aretha 'Respect'

70s
Bowie 'Rock n' Roll Suicide'
Bob Marley 'Get Up Stand Up'
Elvis Costello 'I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea'

80s
(Whoever did it first) 'Venus'
Toto 'Africa'
Smiths 'How Soon is it Now?'
Pixies 'Debaser'
Metallica 'One'
Public Enemy 'Bring the Noise'
REM 'Stand'
Stone Roses 'Elephant Stone'

90s
Massive Attack 'Unfinished Sympathy'
Pixies 'Velouria'
Metallica 'Enter Sandman'
Nirvana 'In Bloom'
Jane's Addiction '3 Days'
Radiohead 'Lucky'
Underworld 'Born Slippy'
Asian Dub Foundation 'Free Satpal Ram'
Morbid Angel 'God of Emptiness'
Blur 'Pop Scene'
Wildhearts 'I Wanna Go Where the People Go'
Tricky 'Black Steel'
Aimee Mann 'I Should Have Known'
Manic Street Preachers 'La Tristesse Durera'
Roni Size 'Brown Paper Bag'
Aphex Twin 'Come to Daddy'

>80s
>(Whoever did it first) 'Venus'

Shocking Blue in the 70s, followed by Bananarama in the 80s and Don Pablo's Animals in the 90s. UOCYKD

Forgot to include on my list:
Blur - "Girls & Boys" (still think it's the best thing they've done)
Pink Floyd - "Not Now John"

>Aaaagh, this is awful, just reminds me of what I forgot to put down! Heheh, I give up on lists and life.

Chin up lass! I'll not have anyone giving up on life on account of my post. Share and enjoy.

Addendum:

Radiohead-Lucky, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees
Tarkan-Ikimizine Yerine, Unut Beni, Salina, Salina Sinsice, Gecemin Urkek Kanatlarinda
Sibel Can-Bence Talih
Lene Marlin Pederson-Maybe I'll Go
Madonna-Oh Father, I'll Remember, Ya Lo Veras, Time stood Still
Bush-Letting The Cables Sleep
Sarah McLachlan-Adia, Captive
FGTH-Power Of Love
Kirsty McColl & Shane McGowan-Fairytale of New York
Metallica-Wherever I May Roam
Bob Marley-One Love, Is This Love
Beautiful South-Bell Bottomed Tear, Prettiest Eyes
The Be-Sharps-Baby on Board(!)

>Tarkan-Ikimizine Yerine, Unut Beni, Salina, Salina Sinsice, Gecemin Urkek Kanatlarinda

Is that all one song title? I hope so, because if so I'm going to ask for it in Virgin.

>Chin up lass! I'll not have anyone giving up on life on account of my post. Share and enjoy.


Heheh, OK then! Anyway, there are no sharp objects ordangerous chemicals in the house, they know me only too well!

Oooh more!

Toni Basil-Hey Mickey (it's personal!)
The Cure-Boys Don't Cry, Friday I'm In Love, Close to You
Carter USM-Suicide isn't Painless
Lonestar-Amazed

I think I'd better stop now!

>>Tarkan-Ikimizine Yerine, Unut Beni, Salina, Salina Sinsice, Gecemin Urkek Kanatlarinda
>
>Is that all one song title? I hope so, because if so I'm going to ask for it in Virgin.


Heheh, no 4 separate songs! Virgindo stock both the albums (Aacayipsin and Olurum Sana) I believe, as do HMV!

What? No Kylie? Honestly, you people...

Time for some OZ stuff
Kylie "Better The Devil You Know"/"Shocked"/"What do I have to do"
Nick Cave "Where the wild roses grow"(with Kylie)/"The Ship Song"
Saints "Stranded"
INXS "What You Need"
Regurgitator "Everyday Formula"
Ed Kuepper "Confessions in Paradise"/"Fever"
Happyland "Don't you know who I am"

Also just want to include a heinous omission to Pixies tracks already mentioned -
"Monkey is gone to heaven"

PS. I'm going to see The Cure tonight. I hope they do that one where Robert Smith battles with Barbra Streisand.

Simon A - have to agree about 'I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea'.

By the way, do you know that the song's about?

Further Stuff -

They Might Be Giants 'They'll Need A Crane'
XTC 'Wake Up'
Tomorrow 'My White Bicycle'
Kraftwerk 'Tour De France'
Brigitte Bardot 'Harley Davidson'
Serge Gainsbourg '69 Anee Erotique'
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore 'The LSBumblebee'
Scott Walker 'Tilt'
Supergrass 'Going Out'
The Charlatans 'Bullet Comes'
808 State 'Pacific State'
The Cardigans 'Sick And Tired'
Blur 'Popscene'
Joy Division 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'
The Teardrop Explodes 'Treason'
Orange Juice 'Rip It Up'
Janie Summers 'Don't Pity Me'
Cola Boy 'Seven Ways To Love'
Saint Etienne 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart'
Primal Scream 'Higher Than The Sun'

'Zombie Nation' - Kernkraft 404

I hate lists. Particularly these lists:

1. Best singles
2. Best albums
3. Best films
4. Best sitcoms
5. Top 100 sexiest men/women

But Ewar, you always come top in 100 sexiest women!

My favourite single is... Ewar Woowar. Mmmmm...

Oh TJ, you missed a golden opportunity for a "always comes first" double entendre there...

Incidentally, I'm getting loads of mileage out of the fact that I injured my coccyx at the weekend. <Sid James-style cackle>

Can I tend to it?

>Simon A - have to agree about 'I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea'.
>
>By the way, do you know that the song's about?

There's a great story about this on the sleeve notes of the 'Girls, Girls, Girls' compilation. Costello got into a taxi, not long after the single came out, and asked to be taken to Chelsea. "Ha bloody ha" came the response from the cynical cabbie...

Brimful of Asha by Cornershop (Mr Zoe Ball remix) - best song ever. Andone who says otherwise is just wrong!

Scritti Politti: "The 'Sweetest Girl'"
Glen Campbell: "Wichita Lineman"
China Crisis: "Wishful Thinking"
Roxy Music: "Virginia Plain"
The Walker Brothers: "The Electrician"
OMD: "Souvenir"
Francoise Hardy: "La Maison Ou J'Ai Grandi"
Associates: "Club Country"
Alec Empire: "When You've Reached Your Peak"
Missy Elliot: "The Rain"
The Smiths: "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore"
Magazine: "Rhythm Of Cruelty"
Throwing Muses: "Chains Changed"
Julie London: "Cry Me A River"
Bobbie Gentry: "I Saw An Angel Die"
LFO: "LFO"
Ninotchka: "I've Got Wings"
Kraftwerk: "Autobahn"
Papa Sprain: "Flying To Vegas"
Curd Duca: "Touch"
Panasonic: "Osasto"
... oh, that'll do...

Sort of top 20, in no particular order:

90's stuff:
Underworld - Pearls Girl
Roni Size/Reprazent - Share The Fall
Mother Love Bone - Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns
My Bloody Valentine - anything off Loveless, I can never remember which song is which
Placebo - 36 Degrees
Napalm Death - Greed Killing
Moloko - Day For Night
My Little Funhouse - Addicted
Manic Street Preachers - The Intense Humming Of Evil (one of their more jolly songs)
Pigface - Nutopia
Brad - Raise Love
Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should Have Come Over
Hole - Rock Star
Jane's Addiction - Three Days
Kula Shaker - Hey Dude
Radiohead - Climbing Up The Walls
Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name
Senser - Age Of Panic
Sepultura - Refuse/Resist
Temple Of The Dog - All Night Thing
Stone Roses - One Love
Whispering Bob - Joy Is A High Window (slightly obscure, I grant you)

Pre-90's stuff:
The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen

...and nothing else. One decade is enough for anybody.

Best single of the 90s : "Nature's Hated" by Orlando.

'I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea' - apparently based on The Chelsea, a slapper-festooned chrome and plastic nightclub (hence "they call her Natasha when she looks like Elsie") that operated in Birkenhead, a small area adjacent to Liverpool, in the 1970s when Elvis C lived there. Or so I'm told.

Both you and Al have got it wrong, it's about not wanting to go to see the young Chelsea Clinton, who was staying in London at the time. Costello was trying to make ends meet as a part-time babysitter, and Chelsea was an especially troublesome, spoilt American brat.

My favourite singles of the 80's -

"Anal By Anal" - Boredoms
"Gigantic" - Pixies
"Il Duce" - Big Black

Oops, forgot to add these -

"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
"Hallelujah" - Happy Mondays
"I Should Be So Lucky" - Kylie Minogue

"(You Must Fight To Live) On The Planet Of The Apes" by The Mummies totally rules.
And anyone who like Boredoms is a friend of mine!

Chris, can I have a copy of 'Il Duce' please? It's not on any album of theirs.

[email protected]

>'I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea' - apparently based on The Chelsea, a slapper-festooned chrome and plastic nightclub (hence "they call her Natasha when she looks like Elsie") that operated in Birkenhead, a small area adjacent to Liverpool, in the 1970s when Elvis C lived there. Or so I'm told.

Well, I didn't know that. 'The Chelsea Reach' was actually in New Brighton (north-eastern tip of the Wirral, other side of the Mersey from Liverpool), and open until, ooh, at least '87 or '88, I'd say. Notorious place - renamed The Royale in the 90s (*classy*). Some local photographer published a book of his snapshots from Friday and Saturday nights in the Chelsea, leading to many pockets of domestic strife in Wallasey and Birkenhead as wives glimpsed husbands groping spangly-dressed fifth-formers in smeary monochrome. Oh, what a lark.